The Washington critic., 1887-12-16
wuirrIERs BIRTHDAY.
The Eighileth Anniversary Of the Event
Observed In This City.

obNcrN'u III ihis ti'y'
To-day was Whitticr's day in the pub
lie schools, or should have been. The
practice of celebrating the birthdays of
men noted for their literary achieve
mculs has long been in vogue, but never
before has there been day set aside by
the School Board to he devoted by all
the schools to exercises commemorative
of any one man.
The school Bomd did not make the
u.lcr directing the observance OF Friday
as Whittier Day until last Tuesday, and
the order was not promulgated until day
before Yesterday. The time was too
short for any of the teachers to prepare
any crcditable programmes. y major
iiv of the schools did not observe the
dilv ut all on account of the insufficient
time for preparation. In such as did
tho exercises were limited to recitatons
or talks by the teachers on Whittier
and his character and works and read
ings by the scholars OF his shorter
poems.
Superintendent Powell was seen this
afternoon and said: "Thc order making
this Whittier Day, and authorizing its
observance in the schools, did not come
until Tuesday, and was not correctly
understood until the next day, Wednes-
day, and that did not leave sufficient
time for preparation. The order affected
only schools Of the seventh and eighth
GRADES. The morning papers in making
,he announcement said that it included
only the seventh and eighth divisions.
These divisions are composed eXclu-
sively of colorcd schools, and not re-
ceiving the order until after had read
il in the papers | was mislcd, and did
not pay particular attention to the mat
ter at the time, as the colored schools
are not under my charge.
"The order included the seventh and
eighth grades in all the divisions of the
schools. BY the time the order had been
received from the board it was too late
to make much of day think the
plan good one to certain extent. The
holding of exercises commemorative of
prominent literary men and statesmen
Is commendable. But there is danger
of taking too much time in the prepari-
tion for this work. The idea is not u
new one, but this is the first time since
I have been connected with the schools
that the board has ordered day set
aside for this purpose.
"The teachers from time to time, as
they see MT, devote u DAY 10 Ihe COIL
memoration of some author or poet. We
have often had Whittier day or Long
fellow day, or Shakespeare day in GER
tain schools, but never one day set apart
in all the schools. The High School also
often devotes day to some one eminent
author. But though it is q good plan,
and should not be carried too far, it is
a kind of dissipation, and is apt to
interfere with the legitimate work of
the school,"
MEETING OF CoLoRED PEOPLE.
There will be meeting of colored cit
liens this evening at the r-street Presby-
terian Church to celebrate the day. Mr..
Robert II. Terrell will preside. The
ceremonies will consist of short addresses
by Recorder Of Deeds Trottcr, DR.. Pur-
Wis, Rev. ]. w. Cornwell, Geo. w. Will
liams, the historian, and Mr.. Terrell,
and the reading Of selections from Whit
tiers poems. Miss L. L. Motion will
read an ode to Whittier composed by
Mrs. Grimke. Music will be furnished
by the pupils of the Normal School.
Owing to prior engagement to lecture
in Alexandria, Hon. Frederick Douglass
will not be present at the meeting.